The Latham Loop

What is the latham loop? How did it change cinema?

The invention of the Latham loop was essential to create longer films. Previously, short films that lasted seconds were not a problem because the length was what made films unique at the time. However, as the audience became less astonished with simple, short length films, the necessity to extend the filming time came up as an issue. To solve this problem, the Lathams invented a new mechanism known as the Latham loop which allowed longer scenes to be filmed. This mechanism became increasingly popular especially because it was a loophole in Edison's patent aggression.